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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a path
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a song
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — of a tree

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