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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. band — a music group
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a ring
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — of a river

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