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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — clever
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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