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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — a big deal

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