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

Word bank: sharp · drill · firm · kid · bat · rock · chair · stick

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. firm — decided
  9. kid — to tease
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — a company
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. firm — steady
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. chair — a leader

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