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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hand — help
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — to bear

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