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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
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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: mine · roll · track · drill · bound · last · ball · ruler

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — army training
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — a list
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a song
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mine — for digging
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — finally

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