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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — an aim
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — to protest
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — what's left

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