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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. drill — a practice
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a path
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — a line

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