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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. row — a line
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — a cake
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. roll — a list
  24. craft — boats

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