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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. drill — a practice
  11. present — there
  12. kid — child
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — the time now
  18. bank — of a river
  19. race — humankind
  20. cue — a signal
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — happy
  24. race — a contest

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