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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — to tire
  24. club — a group

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