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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. drill — army training
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — final
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. content — happy
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. drill — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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