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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: present · band · club · pitcher · bore · firm · pop · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. firm — a company
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. club — a group
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a ring
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — decided
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — the time now
  23. firm — steady
  24. lie — an untruth

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