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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. swing — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — army training
  9. present — a gift
  10. net — after costs
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — there
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — in cards
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bowl — to roll

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