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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — the fish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. swing — in golf
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. net — for catching

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