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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 · band · dip · craft · cue · calf · track · pop

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. craft — a skill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — a path
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. craft — boats
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. drill — army training
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cue — a signal

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