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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — a trail
  4. degree — temperature
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — from a university
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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