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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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Word bank
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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. degree — temperature
  9. drill — army training
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a face
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — in golf
  24. drill — the tool

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