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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 116 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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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: bowl · dip · chair · race · bore · pitcher · club · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chair — a leader
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — a sauce

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