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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. degree — from a university
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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