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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — to go on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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