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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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