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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. firm — decided
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bore — to drill
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — clever
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — steady
  23. march — music
  24. bore — to tire

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