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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · sharp · bore · roll · pitch · spell · pop · game

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. sharp — clever
  7. game — a match
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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