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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — an aim
  10. court — of a king
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — a practice
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — a measure
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — to protest

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