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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — completely
  10. net — for catching
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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