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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — finally
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. field — a subject
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a partner

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