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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. capital — money
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — a city
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — to get on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bass — low music

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