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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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