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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: leaves · mark · can · ball · rest · drill · squash · track

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — a song
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — army training
  24. ball — a dance

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