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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bass — the fish
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. track — a song
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — the season
  19. drill — army training
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — low music

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