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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — army training
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. current — happening now
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — completely
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — in cards

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