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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. key — in music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — crushed
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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