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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — to keep track
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — to breed
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. court — of a king
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. court — for sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. track — a path
  24. drill — army training

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