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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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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: date · mug · dip · roll · stand · bore · rest · pitch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — a break
  13. roll — a list
  14. dip — to sink
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a face
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — the fruit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stand — on your feet

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