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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — a list
  15. drill — a practice
  16. net — for catching
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. roll — on a roll

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