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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — army training
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a path
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. cue — for pool
  23. land — ground
  24. ball — a dance

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