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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. last — finally
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — electric
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — happening now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — of water
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — in sport

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