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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tear — to rip
  7. drill — army training
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — in music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. current — happening now
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. tear — from crying

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