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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — soda
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — of law
  10. pop — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — a face
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — of a king
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. court — for sport

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