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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — a practice
  4. land — a country
  5. object — a thing
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — to protest

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