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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. season — of the year
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — a trace
  24. drill — a practice

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