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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. spell — magic
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pop — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. swing — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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