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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: pop · rush · squash · drill · cabinet · calf · track · board

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pop — soda
  3. track — a song
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — music
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — to crush
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — a committee

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