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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 116 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: mug · drill · squash · track · present · club · bulb · wake

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — for golf
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. club — for dancing
  14. track — a song
  15. drill — army training
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — there
  18. track — to keep track
  19. club — a group
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — a trail

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