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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. drill — army training
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. march — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — the month

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