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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: drill · rash · club · march · present · jam · foot · mark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. march — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — a gift
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. foot — a measure
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rash — a series

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