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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — a price
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hand — help
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — in control

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