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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mug — a face
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. net — after costs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. net — for catching

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