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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — letters
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — in a race

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