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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — army training
  8. club — for dancing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. file — a document
  13. current — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pound — a weight

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