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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — happening now
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — of water
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — low music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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