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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pit — in a race
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — from a university
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — a leader

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