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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — a country
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — to come down
  14. last — to go on
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — finally
  18. board — to get on
  19. land — ground
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — final
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — of your body

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