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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. march — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fine — all right
  15. toast — bread
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — a video
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. clip — for paper
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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