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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — the season
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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