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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — a practice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — army training
  11. field — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bank — of a river
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. field — a subject
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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