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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bass — low music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. net — after costs
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — help
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — to confront
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — a dish

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