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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. field — for sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — a garden tool

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