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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. track — a path
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — a song
  6. can — to be able to
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — to eat with
  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