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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — for paper
  13. court — of law
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the fish

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