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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: club · key · bore · mark · kid · rule · object · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — to protest
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. club — a group
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kid — child
  16. key — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kid — to tease
  19. club — for golf
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — a grade

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