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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kid — child
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitch — a sports field

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