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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a ring
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a dance
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — size or range
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mark — a grade

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