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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — a trail
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. roll — a list
  17. charge — in control
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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