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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. tube — a container
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. drill — army training
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — a practice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — in a tire

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