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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · bass · saw · bore · bowl · mine · land · present

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to drill
  3. present — a gift
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. land — ground
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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