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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. court — of a king
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — there
  8. snap — to click
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — money
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — for sport
  17. current — electric
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — of water
  21. capital — a city
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pound — a weight
  24. capital — a big letter

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