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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — the tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — in music
  24. chair — a professorship

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