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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bore — to drill
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — help
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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