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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — obliged
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bound — tied together
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — steady
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. game — a match
  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