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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pop — soda
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — high quality
  9. current — electric
  10. last — final
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — finally
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. current — happening now

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