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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — army training

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