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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. rock — a stone
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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