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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — thin
  12. club — a group
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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