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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 120 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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bore — to drill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a trace
  24. shower — rain

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