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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: drill · pass · bear · land · sharp · rest · mouse · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — a country
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — army training
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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