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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. present — there
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a song
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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