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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — army training
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — the earth
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — in an idiom

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