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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — in control
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — a price
  16. drill — a practice
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — in a road
  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