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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: march · bore · game · arm · track · roll · mouse · pitcher

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a song
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — part of the body

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