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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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