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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. rash — hasty
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. drill — the tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a grade
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — a series

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