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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — the tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. row — to paddle
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spell — a short time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. drill — a practice

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