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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. drill — army training
  4. game — a match
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — for pool
  14. net — after costs
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — to pay attention

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