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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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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: pound · toast · march · mate · drill · trunk · bowl · bank

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a friend
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — a weight
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  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