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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — of law
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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