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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — the underground
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tube — in a tire
  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