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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — army training
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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