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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. last — final
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to bend
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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