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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — a weight
  14. land — a country
  15. bore — to tire
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. land — ground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — videos and posts

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