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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: tube · drill · craft · temple · cell · bound · pitch · row

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. row — a line
  11. bound — certain
  12. row — to paddle
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bound — tied together

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