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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.

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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — to protest
  10. drill — a practice
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — of water
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — to succeed

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