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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: craft · file · object · game · cap · drill · arm · bound

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. bound — tied together
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — a skill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. object — an aim
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a lid

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