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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — decided
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — steady
  17. march — the month
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bore — to tire

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