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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — army training
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — a thing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. current — happening now
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — a match

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