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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: club · scale · calf · cabinet · jam · hand · mine · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — help
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — belonging to me

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