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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 · track · roll · rush · ground · pass · toast · bark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — a position
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — army training
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. drill — a practice

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