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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — a line
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — a stone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. track — a song
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. deal — an agreement

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