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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: tear · pop · drill · bore · mark · ball · rock · arm

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a dance
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — army training
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pop — soda
  22. drill — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rock — to move gently

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