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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — a tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pop — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — to rip
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. net — after costs

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