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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — music

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