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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — crushed
  10. drill — army training
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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