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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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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 · snap · hide · bark · craft · bore · nail · race

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. race — a contest
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bark — to shout
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — to keep secret

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