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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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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 · root · pass · toast · pound · chest · current · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. toast — bread
  4. club — for golf
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a word
  19. current — happening now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. club — a group
  24. root — the cause

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