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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. plane — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — in geometry

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