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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: hide · kid · deal · bore · game · roll · bass · mark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — a list
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — a cake
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — wild animals

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