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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — boats
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — a skill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spring — a coil
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — videos and posts

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