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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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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: mark · bore · stick · staff · rock · swing · snap · club

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. swing — in golf
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for golf
  14. snap — to click
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — a grade
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — to pay attention

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