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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: staff · ground · saw · rock · plane · bore · track · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. club — for dancing
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. track — a path
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ground — crushed

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