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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — a path
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — happening now
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. march — the month

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