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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. club — for golf
  4. mine — for digging
  5. band — a ring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — goods
  11. club — a group
  12. suit — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a face
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — shares
  24. mine — an explosive

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