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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — music
  14. hand — help
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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