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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: bore · pitcher · ball · track · last · cabinet · stick · mark

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. last — to go on
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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