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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — a law
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mate — a friend
  19. drill — army training
  20. band — a ring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — to breed

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