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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. drill — a practice
  5. capital — a city
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — all right
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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