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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a line
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — a partner
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spring — the season
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — a group
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — of water
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spring — a coil
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bound — obliged
  24. coach — a trainer

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