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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stock — shares
  6. drill — army training
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — goods
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cold — not warm

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