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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — a match
  9. ball — a great time
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — a subject
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — hurry

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