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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a path
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. content — the amount
  16. row — a line
  17. current — electric
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — happy
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bore — to tire

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