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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. track — a song
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — size or range
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — army training
  21. row — to paddle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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