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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — a stone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — a line
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — the tool

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