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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bore — to drill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — a break
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. clip — for paper
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. roll — a cake
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. clip — a video

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