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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — for golf
  7. capital — a city
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. club — a group
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chip — for betting
  24. squash — to crush

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