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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitch — completely
  4. toast — bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to drill
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — gave birth

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