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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rock — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bass — low music
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mine — an explosive

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