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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: mate · ball · roll · club · drill · track · mark · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. drill — army training
  3. roll — a cake
  4. club — for golf
  5. mark — a trace
  6. roll — a list
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — for dancing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mug — to rob
  24. track — to keep track

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