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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: club · bulb · rock · pit · current · file · bore · hand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a document
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — help
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — for dancing

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