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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 120 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 · fine · drill · pitch · rock · hand · bore · fork

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — in cards
  3. club — for dancing
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — a stone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — music
  24. fork — in a road

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