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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. capital — money
  3. land — to come down
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a hint
  22. swing — to play on
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — for pool

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