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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — decided
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — for catching
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — a company

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