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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 · march · roll · mug · ball · bay · present · current

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — a practice
  4. march — music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a great time
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. current — of water
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. present — there
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. roll — a list
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ball — a dance

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