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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. drill — army training
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. net — after costs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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