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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.

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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: bore · mate · cue · key · craft · ground · bass · fork

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — to breed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mate — a partner

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