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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 120 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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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: bowl · drill · straw · race · racket · bore · object · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. drill — army training
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — a practice
  19. race — humankind
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — the arms race

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