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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. race — a contest
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — humankind
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. court — of a king
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — the arms race
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — of law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — animal skin

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