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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — a trace

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