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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. track — a path
  5. game — wild animals
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — to tire
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. game — a kind of play

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