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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 116 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: tear · stock · ball · drill · track · kick · last · mug

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — to go on
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — final
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — finally
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mug — a face

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