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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spell — a short time
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. capital — a city
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — to drill
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — the animal

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