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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. court — for sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. court — of a king
  13. bore — to tire
  14. court — of law
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — in traffic

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