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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. drill — a practice
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. sharp — clever
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — high quality
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — army training
  19. present — there
  20. fine — all right
  21. fall — the season
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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