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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. drill — army training
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — a match
  22. race — the arms race
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. can — a tin

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