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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. root — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. club — for dancing
  12. root — of a word
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — a contest
  15. club — for golf
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — the fish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fall — to drop
  24. club — a group

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