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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bore — to tire
  21. file — a document
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. charge — a price

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