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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — army training
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rule — government
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rule — a law
  22. degree — temperature
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — to keep track

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