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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: bowl · bore · date · bass · rock · bat · hide · can

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. can — to be able to
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — the fruit

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