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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kid — child
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — to tease
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — low music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the fish
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — of water
  22. foot — a measure
  23. capital — money
  24. roll — a list

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