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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · pound · rock · track · drill · tube · bore · capital

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — a container
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a line of people
  11. capital — a city
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a document
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. file — a tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. drill — army training
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rock — a stone

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