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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — to recline
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. track — to keep track

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