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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: row · bore · club · wave · bowl · rash · rule · pitcher

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — for golf
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rash — a series
  18. club — a group
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — a quarrel

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