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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. land — a country
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — low music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. drill — army training
  23. land — to come down
  24. hide — to keep secret

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