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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hand — help
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — a contest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. court — for sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — the arms race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — to sink
  20. charge — in control
  21. court — of a king
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — humankind
  24. dip — a sauce

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