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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ball — a great time
  7. present — the time now
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — there
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — a grade
  16. squash — the sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. clip — a video
  21. cue — for pool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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