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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — to tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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