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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. land — to come down
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. key — in music
  11. club — a group
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to click
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. club — for dancing

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