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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — in a road
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — finally
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  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