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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — of ice
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. club — a group
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — the season

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