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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — army training
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — for weighing

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