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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. bore — to tire
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — help
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com