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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. track — a path
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — a song
  17. row — a line
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — to keep track

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