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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pop — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — to visit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bank — of a river

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