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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. land — a country
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — a practice
  11. present — there
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. land — ground
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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