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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — in control
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — for a lock

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