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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. file — a line of people
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a document
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  24. drill — the tool

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