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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: cap · bat · can · bass · dip · rock · bore · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rock — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  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