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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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. track — to keep track
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. track — a song
  14. net — after costs
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — of a river
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bank — for money

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