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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — low music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — in sport
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — farmland
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — for catching
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. net — after costs
  24. scale — size or range

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