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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — a container
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — to fit
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — an aim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rock — a stone
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rock — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. field — for sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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