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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — to lash out

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