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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. suit — clothes
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — after costs
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — in sport

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