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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. capital — a city
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. drill — army training
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — music
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — a path
  21. present — there
  22. club — for dancing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. present — the time now

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