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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. band — a music group
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — a series
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a ring
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bass — the instrument
  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