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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. drill — army training
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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