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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — a stone
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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