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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. suit — in cards
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. track — a path
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rock — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — army training
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. firm — decided
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cold — not warm

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