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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. pitch — completely

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