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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — steady
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. snap — to click
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pit — a hole

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