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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a committee
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — to get on

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