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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — magic

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