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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mug — a face
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. net — for catching
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — low music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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