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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. march — music
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fine — all right
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. clip — a video
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  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