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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · sharp · ground · stick · chair · mine · bore · foot

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — gave birth

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