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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — a group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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