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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a song
  7. last — to go on
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — a practice
  10. current — of water
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — to keep track
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spell — a short time
  24. track — a path

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