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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — final
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bore — to tire
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — low music

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