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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a music group
  4. club — for golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. band — a ring
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. club — a group
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — a stick
  24. track — a path

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