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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.

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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — army training
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. squash — to crush
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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