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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. band — a ring
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — happening now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cell — in biology
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bore — to tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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