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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a path
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — help
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — all right
  19. cue — a signal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. track — to keep track
  24. plane — a tool

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