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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: bowl · wake · suit · spring · drill · march · current · mug

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. suit — to fit
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — of water
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — a face
  24. march — the month

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