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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pit — a hole
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. drill — a practice
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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