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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. net — for catching
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. key — the most important part
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. net — in sport
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. net — after costs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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