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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · dip · pitch · spring · deal · bore · key · sharp

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. spring — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bore — to tire
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — to handle

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