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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rock · club · swing · suit · bat · foot · bore · band

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bore — to tire
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — to fit

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