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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a song
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. ruler — a monarch

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