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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — money
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — army training
  11. present — a gift
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a song
  15. march — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. present — there
  22. drill — a practice
  23. vault — a safe
  24. present — the time now

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