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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — for golf
  5. tear — to rip
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fine — all right
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — army training
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tube — the underground
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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