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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — a stone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. season — in sport
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — a safe
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — of the year
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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