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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — a contest
  5. ground — a position
  6. race — the arms race
  7. club — a group
  8. bore — to tire
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — for golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — the earth
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. roll — on a roll

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