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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — a law
  19. drill — army training
  20. rule — government
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. net — for catching
  24. march — the month

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