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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to tire
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — to get on
  14. pop — music
  15. hand — help
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — a flat piece

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