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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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