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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ground — a position
  4. shower — to wash
  5. drill — a practice
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — boats
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — a division
  14. ground — the earth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — a skill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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