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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · ball · track · drill · tear · leaves · rock · roll

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. drill — the tool
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pit — a hole
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — a practice
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. roll — a list
  21. drill — army training
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — in a race

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