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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: drill · mark · kick · board · cap · mate · roll · date

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. roll — a list
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mate — a partner
  12. board — a committee
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — a trace
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — army training
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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