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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — an aim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — happening now
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — army training
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — hurry

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