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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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