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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — the fish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cell — in biology
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — a path

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