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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. spring — the season
  4. drill — the tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. present — there
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — a penalty

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