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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. track — a song
  3. pound — a weight
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — a line
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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