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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. object — an aim
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — a thing
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to drill
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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