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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · track · fine · mark · pitcher · drill · trunk · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — army training
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — a path
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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