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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — to paddle
  3. present — there
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — the time now
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pit — in a race
  19. suit — clothes
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a great time
  22. land — a country
  23. drill — the tool
  24. row — a line

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