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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — a permit
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — bread

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