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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to tire
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. drill — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — a list
  10. cap — a lid
  11. track — a song
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — all right
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. race — humankind
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bore — gave birth

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