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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. capital — money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — army training
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — in a race
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. capital — a city
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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