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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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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: staff · deal · ground · bore · fan · track · bulb · bass

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fan — a supporter

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