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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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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — army training
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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