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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — a break
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chip — in a computer

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