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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. firm — a company
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — to visit
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — steady
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — the tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitcher — a jug

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