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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — tied together
  9. march — music
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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