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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bound — certain
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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