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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a path
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — a stick

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