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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.

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: pit · mug · craft · leaves · kick · mine · drill · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mug — a cup
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mug — a face
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — a thrill

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