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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a document
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — to play on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — in golf
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. club — for golf
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — army training

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