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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: kid · present · club · bass · staff · net · bore · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. net — after costs
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — a group
  5. kid — child
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — for catching
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — for golf
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — the time now

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