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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. present — there
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — a group
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — a gift
  15. club — for dancing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ball — a great time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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