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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to drill
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — a position
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bore — to tire
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. vault — a safe
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — in a race

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