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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. racket — for tennis

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