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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — hurry
  21. content — happy
  22. club — for golf
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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