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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · cap · plane · rock · bore · club · bass · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — a lid
  4. club — for golf
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. content — the amount

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