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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cell — a phone
  3. drill — army training
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — music
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. drill — a practice

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