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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — steady
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. firm — decided
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. drill — the tool

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