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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 116 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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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: bay · racket · saw · drill · row · ruler · tube · mark

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. drill — army training
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. row — a line
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. racket — for tennis

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