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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — a partner
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — the tool

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