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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: rash · club · drill · deal · cabinet · ball · prune · tube

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — army training
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tube — the underground
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — a container
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — on the skin

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