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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — happening now
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — low music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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