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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: fine · tear · snap · ball · land · bank · cue · drill

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to click
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — a country
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — to come down
  16. tear — from crying
  17. land — ground
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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