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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — of a plant

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