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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: pitcher · bore · rush · sharp · nail · can · mine · foot

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able 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