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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: snap · roll · mine · toast · club · bore · land · rock

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — for digging
  3. roll — a cake
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — a group
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to click
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — a country
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. toast — bread
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — music
  24. land — to come down

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