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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bass — low music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. present — there
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a great time
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. present — a gift

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