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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — a measure
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — in golf
  13. march — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. vault — a safe
  16. swing — music
  17. land — a country
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. land — to come down
  24. mine — belonging to me

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