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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — low music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. court — of law
  8. present — there
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — a phone

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