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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. land — to come down
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — music
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — a path
  8. land — a country
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. drill — the tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — a group
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — the season
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fall — to drop

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