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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — a path
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. drill — army training
  19. swing — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a dance

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