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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cell — in biology
  10. present — a gift
  11. bore — to drill
  12. present — there
  13. tear — to rip
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — the time now
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — completely
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitch — a sports field

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