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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: drill · ball · fine · march · nail · object · leaves · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — to protest
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — a practice
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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