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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. drill — the tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — in football
  10. craft — boats
  11. board — a committee
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. row — a line
  17. net — for catching
  18. board — to get on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. drill — army training

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