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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — an injury
  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