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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. perch — the fish
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a song
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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