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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — soda
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — music
  9. rule — government
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — a hint
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — a law

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