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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pop — soda
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — a horse colour

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