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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · wind · can · chip · bore · fine · swing · club

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. club — a group
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. land — to come down
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fine — high quality

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