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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bore — to tire
  5. roll — a list
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — low music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bore — to drill

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