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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: race · board · track · mark · bound · pit · band · drill

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. drill — army training
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — obliged
  20. track — a song
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. board — a committee
  24. mark — to pay attention

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