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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — to drill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bass — low music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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