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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to sink
  16. craft — boats
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bore — to drill

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