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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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