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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — army training
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — of ice
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a match
  24. bat — for baseball

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