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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: pop · ground · club · key · stick · bore

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — a group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — soda
  18. 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