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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — happening now
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. current — of water
  18. ground — a position
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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