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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rock — a stone
  6. toast — bread
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — final
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. land — ground
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. last — to go on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rock — music

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