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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — to keep track
  7. last — final
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — of water

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