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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — for sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — a company
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — decided
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — steady
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — army training

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