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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. date — the fruit
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — army training
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mark — a trace

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