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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — low music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — army training
  24. foot — a measure

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