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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — a song
  7. fall — the season
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — a division
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a path
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — army training
  24. perch — for a bird

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