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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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