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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — child
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pop — soda
  24. cabinet — ministers

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