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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — soda
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. capital — money
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bore — to tire
  24. capital — a city

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