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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a friend
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. track — a path
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cabinet — ministers

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