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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
468
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: dip · game · bore · pitch · lie · chair · club · season

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — a group
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bore — to tire
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a match

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