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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: sharp · jam · pitch · row · rush · bore · scale · toast

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. toast — bread
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. scale — size or range
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. scale — in music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — a line
  23. jam — in traffic
  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