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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. shower — rain
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — to visit
  5. last — finally
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. last — to go on
  17. pop — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. shower — to wash
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. last — final
  24. staff — employees

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