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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 · deal · ball · track · arm · bore · perch · race

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — the tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — a practice
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to drill
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — to keep track
  24. arm — part of the body

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