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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. land — ground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — to come down
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

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