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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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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: rock · roll · drill · firm · cap · land · mouse · sharp

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — a lid

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