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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fine — high quality
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. club — a group
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bore — gave birth

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