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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitch — completely
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. squash — the sport
  8. land — to come down
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — to drill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. land — a country
  20. season — of the year
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — to sit on

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