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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. band — a ring
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to sink
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — electric
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — the bottom

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