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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — a measure
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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