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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. swing — music
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — in music
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a professorship

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