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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: mouse · cell · fine · track · rock · drill · mark · bore

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — a path
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. drill — army training
  20. rock — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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