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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · pitch · squash · mine · last · file · sharp · stick

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — to go on
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. file — a tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a document
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — final
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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