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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. last — final
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. drill — army training
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a hint
  11. scale — in music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — a signal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go on

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