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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — size or range
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. scale — in music
  8. present — the time now
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — low music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. present — a gift
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — there
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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