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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — a thing
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pop — soda
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — a country
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — to come down

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