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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — low music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — a company
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. last — final
  23. firm — steady
  24. fine — high quality

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