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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: firm · bore · club · roll · rash · coach · land · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — for dancing
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — a series
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — to drill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — a group
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — hasty
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — a country
  20. roll — a list
  21. firm — a company
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. club — for golf
  24. coach — a trainer

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