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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bore — to tire
  4. file — a tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a document
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. court — of law
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a line of people
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. season — in sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a face
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — a tool

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