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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — in music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a music group
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — letters
  13. track — a path
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — to bear
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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