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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. staff — employees

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