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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — in a road
  12. game — a match
  13. bass — low music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — in control
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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