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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: bass · deal · land · mug · cap · mine · content · bore

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. land — to come down
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. land — a country
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a face
  16. deal — to handle
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bass — the instrument

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