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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 124 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — help
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — an aim
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — to protest
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for dancing
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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