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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 120 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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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: net · club · staff · perch · rule · nail · stick · bore

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — in sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — gave birth

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