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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · drill · mug · race · snap · capital · branch · pitcher

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. capital — money
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — clever
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — a city
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. race — a contest
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — to rob
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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