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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.

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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — hasty
  6. roll — a list
  7. track — a path
  8. firm — a company
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. track — a song
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. firm — decided
  17. drill — a practice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. tube — a container
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. swing — to play on
  24. roll — a cake

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