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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: calf · mark · drill · pitcher · swing · cold · staff · track

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cold — not warm
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mark — a grade
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — a stick
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — to pay attention

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