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

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — electric
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — a price
  17. drill — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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