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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a great time

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