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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. march — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — completely

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