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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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