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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — the season
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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