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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to click
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rest — a break
  24. bore — to drill

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