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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 116 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: mouse · snap · game · file · board · pit · pitch · bore

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a match
  19. pitch — completely
  20. file — a tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — a hole

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