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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. tube — a container
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. net — in sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — of the year
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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