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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. drill — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to drill
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — to handle
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ground — crushed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — a tool

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