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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. game — a match
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — an injury
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — army training
  22. stock — shares
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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