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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — to tire
  6. roll — a cake
  7. net — for catching
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — a practice
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pass — a permit

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