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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. pop — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — to be able to
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — a path
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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