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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
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: bore · cap · roll · stick · net · bass · temple · row

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. roll — a list
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — for catching
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to drill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — a cake
  18. row — a line
  19. net — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to tire

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