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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. drill — the tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — for digging
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spring — the season
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — electricity
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — army training
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — belonging to me

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