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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kid — child
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. court — of a king
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kid — to tease
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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