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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — the sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. vault — a safe
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — army training

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