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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bank — of a river
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — a city
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — the arms race
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — money
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — help
  24. race — humankind

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