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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the fish
  3. board — to get on
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. toast — bread
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bass — the instrument

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