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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: scale · deal · bore · bat · sharp · pit · track · bay

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bat — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bore — to drill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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