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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a path
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. craft — boats
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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