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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. club — a group
  5. track — a path
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. bore — to drill
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — to tire

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