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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. capital — money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — a city
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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