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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chair — a leader

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