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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. drill — army training
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mark — a grade
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. toast — bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mine — for digging
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — a thrill

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