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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to drill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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