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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. track — a path
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — to handle

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