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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. net — in sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. toast — bread
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — an eyelash

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