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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. kick — in football
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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