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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. club — for golf
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — to tire
  6. present — the time now
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a path
  11. present — a gift
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. swing — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — a group
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. present — there
  21. club — for dancing
  22. date — the fruit
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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