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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — bread
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. court — for sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — an eyelash

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