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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. drill — the tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — to keep track
  18. drill — a practice
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — a partner
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a friend

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