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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
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: pitch · sharp · bore · mate · kick · suit · club · mine

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a partner
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — to tire

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