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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pit — in a race
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. sharp — clever
  24. drill — a practice

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