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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 116 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — a country
  11. march — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — army training
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — a group
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. drill — a practice
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — clever

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