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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · toast · bass · game · staff · tube · rash · pop

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — bread
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the fish

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