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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — a list
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. roll — on a roll

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