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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — an amount
  3. drill — a practice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — in golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. swing — to play on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. swing — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. degree — temperature
  20. dip — to sink
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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