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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. object — to protest
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. object — an aim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a document
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — a thing

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