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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. drill — army training
  10. fine — high quality
  11. band — a music group
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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