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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — a grade
  10. drill — the tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — to cut
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — a video
  18. bore — to drill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — a group
  23. board — to get on
  24. clip — for paper

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