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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — army training
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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