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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. court — for sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. present — a gift
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — there
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — a face
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — help

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