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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — a song
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rash — a series
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pound — a weight
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — a practice
  21. track — a path
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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