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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · arm · can · pitcher · mark · saw · drill · track

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bound — obliged
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mark — a trace
  24. can — a tin

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