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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wind — to turn a key

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