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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spell — magic
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. foot — a measure
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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