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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 124 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bass — low music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — clothes
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rash — a series
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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