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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to tire

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