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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to drill
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fall — the season

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