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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a song
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a dance
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. track — to keep track

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