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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chest — a box
  11. mug — to rob
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. present — a gift
  14. mug — a face
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — to tire
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — there
  22. chest — of your body
  23. straw — dry grass
  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