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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — for sport
  9. kid — child
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — in a race
  22. court — of a king
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — gave birth

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