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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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