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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — magic
  7. suit — clothes
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. spell — letters
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — a short time

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