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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: shower · drill · nail · arm · field · bay · mark · track

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — army training
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. shower — rain
  21. field — for sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. drill — a practice

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