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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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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: snap · file · bass · bore · deal · wave · court · bowl

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. file — a line of people
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. file — a tool

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