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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — boats
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — a practice

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