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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. craft — boats
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — a measure

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