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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — a match
  5. capital — money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. game — wild animals
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. season — of the year
  11. capital — a city
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a face
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chair — a leader
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. drill — army training
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mug — a cup

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