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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — a leader
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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