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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — a practice
  18. net — after costs
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. toast — bread

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