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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — for catching
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — the time now
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stand — to bear
  18. present — there
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — after costs
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cell — a phone

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