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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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