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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — in a road
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. sharp — exactly

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