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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. present — there
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kid — to tease
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — rain
  23. kid — child
  24. bulb — for light

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