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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitch — completely
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — a division
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — a break
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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