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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the fish
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bark — to shout
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bore — to drill

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