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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.

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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — to tire
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — music
  24. object — to protest

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