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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — soda
  5. clip — a video
  6. pop — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bank — for money
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — to visit

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