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

Word bank: pitch · fan · game · pound · tube · bore · stick · cell

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tube — a container
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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