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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spring — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rash — a series
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. spring — of water
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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