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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. roll — a cake
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — a list
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — army training
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. toast — bread

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