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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — happy
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. club — a group
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — hasty
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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