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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — a gift
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — a price
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — electricity
  11. board — a committee
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — there
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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