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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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