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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. drill — army training
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. file — a tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pass — a permit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — to spend time

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