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

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — a stick
  4. present — there
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. last — final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — to go on
  17. present — the time now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the fish
  23. staff — employees
  24. cabinet — ministers

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