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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — electric
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a face
  24. bass — the instrument

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