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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — a company
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — a hole
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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