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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tube — a container
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — humankind
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. race — a contest
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — the animal

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