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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — in sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — for catching
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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