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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. roll — a list
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. swing — music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. roll — a cake
  24. swing — to play on

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