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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spell — letters
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spell — magic
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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