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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mate — a friend
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mate — a partner
  10. band — a music group
  11. mug — to rob
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. band — a ring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — a song
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fine — all right

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