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

Word bank: wake · stick · club · dip · pitcher · bore · rush · fine

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pitcher — a jug

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