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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bass — low music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — a video
  16. club — for dancing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — the fish
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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