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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — to keep track
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — to move gently

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