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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 · racket · saw · band · chair · pop · prune · race

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — soda
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pop — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — humankind
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pop — to visit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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