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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. file — a document
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. file — a tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. file — a line of people

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