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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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