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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: drill · march · bowl · rock · wax · mate · bass · mark

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a friend
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — army training
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rock — music

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