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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a ring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — low music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. press — to push
  24. band — a music group

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