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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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468
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: fork · scale · cell · bore · club · rush · nail · stand

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — for golf
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — hurry
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — a group
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — a garden tool

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