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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — in cards
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a great time
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — electric
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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