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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. drill — army training
  4. content — happy
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — to keep track
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — wild animals
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. content — the amount
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. drill — the tool

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