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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. drill — army training
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rock — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. march — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. drill — a practice

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