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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to drill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — a container
  17. current — of water
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. scale — in music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a match

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