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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. racket — for tennis

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