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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — help
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — soda
  19. mark — a trace
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — to crush

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