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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rush — to hurry

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