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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — to visit
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. pop — soda
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — music
  24. can — to be able to

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