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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · pass · scale · bore · club · wound

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. scale — in music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for golf
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bore — to tire

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