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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — a weight
  23. drill — a practice
  24. racket — a loud noise

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