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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: bore · march · board · track · ruler · row · rush · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — army training
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. row — a quarrel

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