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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — the tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. spring — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. club — for dancing

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