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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. row — a line
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — to tire
  12. present — there
  13. row — to paddle
  14. present — the time now
  15. wake — a trail
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — for weighing

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