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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — for sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — army training
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to tire
  19. court — of law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. court — of a king
  24. branch — a division

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