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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — magic
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. present — there
  21. spell — a short time
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. bore — gave birth

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