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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — to protest
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — clever
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. object — a thing

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