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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: bass · bore · sharp · pit · bowl · chest · bay · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bore — to drill

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