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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 116 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
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: bass · bulb · bore · cell · pitcher · clip · bear · row

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — a video
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bass — the fish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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