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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — a group
  13. object — an aim
  14. root — the cause
  15. drill — army training
  16. root — of a word
  17. mug — to rob
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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