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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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468
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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kid — child
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — a coil
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kid — to tease
  22. spring — the season
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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