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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · march · pitcher · racket · chip · content · bore · fall

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — the season
  22. chip — to eat
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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