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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — obliged
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — army training
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — for dogs

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