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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — farmland
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. field — a subject
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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