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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a path
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — a song
  9. drill — army training
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — not warm

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