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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 116 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: spring · nail · drill · mug · charge · pit · rock · cap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — a hat
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — of water
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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