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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — of the sea

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