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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — a gift
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — there
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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