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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: track · drill · last · deal · ruler · spring · game · pitcher

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a song
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — the season
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — of water
  20. last — finally
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. deal — an agreement

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