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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: bore · club · rush · racket · land · stock · band · arm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to tire
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for golf
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a music group

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