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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stock — goods
  20. file — a tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. drill — a practice
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a line of people

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