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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — decided
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. club — for dancing
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. firm — steady
  20. club — a group
  21. cap — a lid
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for golf
  24. firm — a company

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