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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — a grade
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. swing — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bound — tied together

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