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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — a price
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. plane — a tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — the instrument

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