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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: degree · bank · nail · mug · foot · drill · track · race

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — a cup
  7. drill — army training
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — a measure
  15. drill — the tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. race — humankind
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — for money

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