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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. scale — size or range
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — to keep track
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. roll — a list
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — an aim
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a song
  16. object — to protest
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — a position
  23. drill — army training
  24. object — a thing

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