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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — a committee
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — for dogs

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