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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — decided
  4. court — of a king
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — in music
  16. court — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. firm — steady

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