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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: track · bowl · suit · last · fan · dip · drill · bound

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — certain
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — finally
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. dip — a sauce

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