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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kid — child
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kid — to tease

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