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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. date — the fruit
  3. object — a thing
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. drill — army training
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. last — finally
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — final
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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