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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. degree — an amount
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. track — to keep track
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. fall — the season

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