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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.

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: cabinet · bore · suit · pop · cell · saw · pitch · row

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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