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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.

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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. date — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a leader

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