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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a trace
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fine — all right
  8. drill — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — of the year

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