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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: object · mate · drill · rush · cue · land · ball · season

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — for pool
  5. object — a thing
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — to add flavour

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