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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — for golf
  9. content — the amount
  10. drill — army training
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a song
  23. content — happy
  24. track — to keep track

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