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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — to drill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — a face
  13. club — a group
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. present — the time now
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — there
  24. rule — a law

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