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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — in music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. net — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — a weight

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