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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. suit — to fit
  5. season — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. race — humankind
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mine — for digging
  20. race — a contest
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — of the year

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