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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — the amount
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — army training
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — happy
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a lid
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a ring

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