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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 120 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 · mark · drill · ruler · calf · bat · current

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — soda
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. drill — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mark — a trace

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