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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pop — soda
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. drill — the tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — army training

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