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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — happy
  6. drill — army training
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — of the year
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — a path
  20. spring — the season
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — a place of worship

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