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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — a break
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — a country
  15. bass — low music
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — in sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — on a roll

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