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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a face
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — crushed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — the earth

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