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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — boats
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — a skill

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