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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — a committee
  4. chest — a box
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. court — of law
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — hurry
  24. foot — part of the body

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