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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. swing — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a word
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — to play on
  12. capital — a city
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — the cause
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — for tennis

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