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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — a practice
  24. craft — a handicraft

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