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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. drill — a practice
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — to be able to
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — a tin

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