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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — the amount
  8. roll — a cake
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — happy
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — in music
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — to keep track
  24. content — videos and posts

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