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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — low music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — a position
  11. current — happening now
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bore — to tire

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