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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. tear — from crying
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — to rip
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. drill — army training
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — a group
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — for golf

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