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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
468
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: race · drill · ball · mug · wound · toast · squash · track

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — army training
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. race — a contest
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — the sport
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mug — a cup
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — to keep track
  24. toast — the most admired

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