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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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. craft — a skill
  4. net — after costs
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — for catching

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