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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — a country
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cell — a phone
  13. land — to come down
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. club — a group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. club — for golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — in biology

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