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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — to fit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — farmland
  6. foot — a measure
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — in cards
  24. current — happening now

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