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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — wild animals
  19. track — a song
  20. game — a match
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. present — a gift
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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