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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a grade
  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