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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. tube — the underground
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. tube — a container
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. drill — the tool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — for a lock

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