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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. board — to get on
  3. scale — in music
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — a subject
  16. mug — a cup
  17. field — farmland
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. field — for sport

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