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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — army training
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. last — final
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — the tool

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