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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — in football
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — a container
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — of water
  12. march — the month
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a song
  23. current — electric
  24. march — music

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