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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — army training
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in biology
  18. scale — in music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — a stone
  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