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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — in a race
  4. content — happy
  5. pop — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — a hole
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. firm — decided
  19. bore — to drill
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — steady
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — a thrill
  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