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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — army training
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — for a hammer

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