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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: season · can · rock · club · squash · drill · bear · bore

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — a group
  3. drill — a practice
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. season — of the year
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. drill — army training

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