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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — low music
  4. cold — an illness
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fine — all right
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rest — a break

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