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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bore — to drill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a grade
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. band — a music group

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