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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 · pop · bore · pitcher · dip · fine · bass · spell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — to visit

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