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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — ground
  13. chest — a box
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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