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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — to tire
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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