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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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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: mark · file · ball · club · bore · sharp

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a document
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people

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