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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spring — the season
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — a trace
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — army training
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a ring

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