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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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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: fall · mark · roll · nail · court · mouse · track · drill

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fall — to drop
  4. court — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — of a king
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. court — of law
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — to keep track
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — the tool

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