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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · bat · rock · leaves · last · bass · bore · sharp

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — soda
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. last — final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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