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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. board — a committee
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — the tool

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