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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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