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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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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: squash · coach · bore · bear · present · pitch · sharp · mark

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — to drill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to tire
  22. present — there
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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