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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — hasty
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — army training
  7. squash — to crush
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of a king
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stand — to bear
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tube — in a tire

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