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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — happy
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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