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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: season · spell · mark · track · press · drill · chip · ruler

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — magic
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — to push
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spell — letters
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — for measuring

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