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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 · bore · track · bank · file · field · charge · saw

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a document
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a line of people
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a path
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — a song
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. drill — army training
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — a subject
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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