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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: tear · cap · club · mug · bore · sharp · racket · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — a lid
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — a face
  14. club — for golf
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tear — to rip

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