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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a great time
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — a country
  8. drill — army training
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — of ice
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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