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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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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: mug · roll · pit · drill · stand · wind · deal · bat

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wind — moving air
  8. roll — a list
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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