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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — an aircraft

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