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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — a safe
  11. club — a group
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — a stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rock — to move gently

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