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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — magic
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a document
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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