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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. craft — boats
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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