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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mate — a partner
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — on a finger

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