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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — a group
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cold — an illness
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fork — in a road
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — the tool

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