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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: land · bore · straw · ball · cue · field · club · staff

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — ground
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a dance
  19. club — for golf
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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