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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rock — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — the tool

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