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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — for catching
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — low music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — in sport

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