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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · track · pitch · file · sharp · perch · object · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — to drill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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