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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 covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — low music
  4. march — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. present — there
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — a gift
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — in control

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