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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: bore · rush · club · coach · nail · season · row · fork

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. club — for golf
  2. rush — hurry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fork — in a road
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — of the year
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. row — a quarrel
  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