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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — to bear
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. calf — of the leg

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