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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a match
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — the tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — an aim

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