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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a song
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. date — the fruit
  13. season — of the year
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. track — to keep track
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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