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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — the season
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. craft — boats
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a list
  24. rock — a stone

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