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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bass — low music
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. toast — bread
  24. drill — a practice

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