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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cap — a lid
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rash — a series
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — to drill

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