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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — hasty
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — soda
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — a series
  24. patient — a sick person

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