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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mug — a cup
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — for sport
  7. cold — not warm
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. vault — a safe
  20. court — of law
  21. mug — to rob
  22. court — of a king
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cold — an illness

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