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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: bore · shower · mark · mate · fine · pitch · stick · rock

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — rain
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a trace

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